Sunday, March 09, 2003 1:45 AM
Hand Evaluation – Overcalls ( Shape
Before Strength )
PITBULLS:
Over the years there
has been a trend in the treatment of overcalls .
Decades ago , Bridge players had an all
purpose double anchored around maybe 16 HCP’s to tell partner that
“I am too strong to overcall” with my one suited hand . Over the years this has
gone out of style
as ambiguous doubles led to disasters in competitive auctions as partner
played you for a “take out double” with at least two suits. It was also better
to get in their initially with your suit
& not muddy the waters with an ambiguous double . Hence , the range for
overcalls went up to the following criteria. You would overcall on
any single suited hand up to the range
where a game would be missed if
partner did not respond with 6 points. I feel that a T/O double with only one suit
should be declared extinct.
Weak overcalls at the one level are still tolerated as long as they are lead directing . Weak overcalls ( HCP’s or suit ) at the two
level are considered old
fashioned or dangerous. Partner expects close to an opening bid for
a two level overcall with a decent suit . The Bergenists overcall with bad suits
& minimum hands hoping partner can save
them but we have not bought into that style. Minimum overcalls still must have decent suits. All intermediate
hands with a one suiter seem to be described by overcalls rather than doubles
. Offensive two suiters
without defense
are overcalled (intermediate range) rather than unusual 2NT or Michael’s
bids . I make an exception with a two suiter with an intermediate hand that I cannot overcall at
the two level due to a bad
suit or having too much defense measured in quick tricks. I use equal level conversion to keep the auction at
the same level so I describe my two suits that way by doubling a spade
♠x ♥KJxxx ♦AQ10xx Ax . The spade suit being the boss suit makes
things awkward for overcalling at the two level when
your heart suit is shaky &
you have such nice defense.
Although the theory today is show shape before strength by bidding , bad suits are
an exception . You want to keep intermediate
hands away from Michaels bids or not
make overcalls at the two level with a bad suit. A double brings in
the safety of two suits or partner may have a suit of her own. With a slightly stronger
hand , I double & jump convert to diamonds to show the two suiter.
O.K.
you have described your shape
before strength by “getting in there” with your one suited
overcall. Later in the auction
you have to give partner some indication of your strength . If you have a lot of
HCP’s that in the old days you would have doubled initially rather than overcalling , you better
double at your first opportunity now. This has no
hidden meaning other then you have lots of HCP’s
along with your overcall .
The double after overcalling first is not takeout but D.S.I.P.
showing cards
so partner act accordingly. Bidding again or introducing a new suit also
shows a good hand but more
offense then defense. A belated Q bid would be a Western Q if
you overcalled a minor , a distributional rock if you overcalled a
major.
How
do you describe a rock two suiter ? Michaels Q or
Unusual 2NT are weak or very
strong so we have those covered. If you are vulnerable , let that help your bid.
You can of course make a Michaels or Unusual 2NT with an intermediate hand vul vrs not. Having them weak on this
vulnerability is suicide.
What about the single suited monsters ?
My feeling is that jumping in the
opponents suit is a silly bid so put it to good use
. A 1♦ opener followed by a 3♦ overcall shows a
rock one suiter in an unspecified
suit . Partner has some standard responses
. Her first duty is to bid 3NT with a stopper .
Clubs and diamonds are always
reserved to tell partner the number of controls she has . If responder has no NT stopper ,
she bids the lower minor Q bid showing 0-1
controls and the higher ranking 2
or more . This is invaluable information for partner to keep bidding
or investigate a slam ( a pre-Blackwood if you will ).
With these understandings a double & bidding a suit should be very rare ( virtually extinct ) . I suppose you could double followed by a jump to game but there is a better way. A jump Q bid can show a huge one suited overcall. Playing equal level conversion you must “up the level” to show the huge two suited hand after a double , unless you pull hearts to spades at the same level. This forces preference to a higher level ( reverse concept ) .
You do not
pre-empt over a pre-empt .
The opponents open a weak two or three , avoid the
temptation to overcall with minimum hands . Partner expects a good hand when
you overcall a weak two or three bid.
Just because they are weak , does not give you license to be weak also. Your
overcall range over weak twos can be kept under control by partnership understandings . A
good one that my partners & I have, is scrapping Michaels Q’s over weak twos and 3’s & one bids in
the balancing spot. This allows us to use a Q
bid as a western Q bid over weak 2’s
in the majors. We then know that
our overcall is not a self sufficient suit when we did not make that Q bid .
The Q bid is a strong hand after a 3 level pre-empt & not Michaels. This “Goren” style Q bid also prevents ambiguous one suited doubles of weak two’s and
3’s . This Q bid applies in the balancing position
also at the one or two level. It is not
Michaels which is a very over
used & ambiguous convention..We playing
leaping Michaels over weak 2’s directly or in the balancing spot.
The
initial double of an auction can very confusing and ambiguous when you allow it to be . Good established
partnerships try to keep the T/O double
under control by following “shape
before strength” & overcalling rather than doubling
. Established partnerships keep bad suit
overcalls under control by doubling & playing equal level
conversion. When partner cannot respond to your one suited
overcall, do you miss game , should be your
only overcall criteria ..